Working with the public can be ... interesting ... and that seems to be especially true in a book store! Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores, by Jen Campbell is proof! I laughed, I chuckled, I rolled my eyes! If you work also work with the public you should, too! :-)

Once upon a time the private life of the president was just that ... private. (Imagine)! Partner that with a formidable wife and staff willing to support her and you get our first female president. Madam President: the Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson, by William Hazelgrove reads like good fiction (but check out the bibliography) and explains how they were able to keep the health of Woodrow Wilson secret as his term in office was completed. Hard to put down! (A side note here ... I just love the name of an assistant to the VP ... Thistlethwaite! Trying saying that three times rapidly). ;-)

Canadian Reader brought me a nice stack of books when she came to visit and among them was The Truth According to Us, by Annie Barrows. She is the co-author (and niece) of a favorite of mine: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. (See the November 4, 2014 post). This new book is also an excellent read. Set during the Depression, Layla has angered her father by refusing to marry the man of his choice. He cuts her off and instructs his brother to find her a job. She is sent to a small town in West Virginia as part of the Federal Writers' Project, they want a book of the town's history for the upcoming sesquicentennial celebration. As she interviews the townsfolk she learns that there is often more than one view of past events, uncovers long buried secrets, and makes friends with the quirky family who agreed to board her during her stay.

Reading Hermit With Dog